Houseboat Living: The Return of the Brandy Bar
(Page 3 of 5)
May/June 1989
By Richard Trachi
Water supply can be as simple as a hose from a dockside faucet connected to the boat through a pressure-regulated valve, such as those commonly used on recreational vehicles. But if you plan to leave the dock, you'll need a 14- to 40-gallon water tank and either hand pump-equipped faucets or a 12-volt pump to provide water pressure. Again, this sort of hardware is available inexpensively from recreational vehicle equipment suppliers.
RELATED CONTENT
India orders all zoo and circus elephants moved to wildlife parks after animal rights outcry...
Now in its fourth season, Simple Living offers ideas to help viewers eliminate the clutter that con...
As the pace of life gets increasingly hectic, more and more people are looking for ways to simply t...
Homesteading in Alaska isn't for the faint of heart, but for those looking for real self-reliance l...
Water and space heating, as well as cooking, can be provided in several ways. Perhaps the simplest is to use small household electrical appliances for the stove, refrigerator, water heater and space heater. But if you'd rather not be completely dependent on the dockside electrical umbilical for your services, you could use the recreational vehicle approach and install propane appliances. However, propane can be very dangerous on a boat unless the system is properly installed, maintained and used. Keep all propane tanks on deck, where any escaped fuel will go into the atmosphere rather than settling into the boat's bilge. Another alternative, the traditional marine approach, would be to use kerosene lighting, heating and cooking appliances. Then again, in the Pacific Northwest most commercial fishing boats have diesel appliances, which are expensive to buy but very economical to operate.
Brandy Bar required no boat-building skills in its assembly.
My own system is a hybrid: My water heater is a 10-gallon electric model, which I can either do without or power with my Honda generator when cruising; my refrigerator is also 110-volt electric; my cookstove is a Dickenson Pacific diesel-oil burner; and I heat the boat with a very small wood- or coal-burning soapstone stove.
Brandy Bar has a full head (bathroom) with a shower, washbasin, vanity and toilet. I tiled the shower enclosure and floor, but a manufactured fiberglass unit would also be workable. The toilet can be any of several different types of Coast Guard-approved marine units. Some of these have holding tanks; some recirculate but still must be pumped eventually; and some treat the waste. Your choice should be based on the availability of pumping services and of dockside facilities. Some marinas provide shore side rest rooms, showers and sometimes even laundries for their live-aboard tenants. Since my docking place offers those conveniences, I use a unit with a small holding tank.
Page:
<< Previous 1 |
2 | 3 |
4 |
5 |
Next >>
